Review of Dog Day Afternoon (1975) by Adam T — 20 Aug 2010

The 1970's must have been a crazy time. Dog Day Afternoon is based off of real events about two Vietnam veterans who decide to rob a bank on a hot summer day in Brooklyn. Al Pacino shines as Sonny, a homosexual man whose married to his wife and has two kids.

This is my favorite role from Pacino, as he captures the pain and frustration of a real human being caught up in a terrible situation. With a bank full of hostages and the entire Brooklyn Police Department outside, his life seems to be crumbling right in front of him, and Pacino delivers this flawlessly.

Many directors have tried imitating Sidney Lumet's film, most notably Spike Lee's Inside Man, but few have been able to translate the intensity and claustrophobic feeling of being stuck in a bank with nowhere to go.

It's the best botched heist job movie ever, right next to Reservoir Dogs. The side stories make the movie much more interesting, such as Sonny's "wife", reasons for robbing the bank and media coverage.

Sonny is glorified like a hero and a villain at the same time throughout the film, and I think that makes it very exciting and different. Lumet delivers a very interesting story with precision in this heist Classic.